The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-12-21
THE PRESIDENT OF MEXICO.

How Io GRinod Ills Education-A Lucky
Chance Success.
President Diaz is an ardent friend OF
educational progress, and an intelligent
~co-laborer with oil men working here to
letter current educational methods. lie
gained his own education most labori-
ously, and his career from boyhood to
early manhood was one long struggle for
knowledge. The son Of honorable but
poor people in OaNaca, he went to tho
elementary schools, and, like Cleveland.
clerkcd it for awhile in q grocery. or
rather n general country store. This he
did to help his excellent mother, who
seems to have been made of that superior
sort of stuff that we always find i'm tho
mothers or great men. Curiously enough
young Diaz was intended for the church.
there being u hereditary chaplaincy in
nus family, which was reserved for him.
An uncle, the protector OF tho family.
urged his taking q theological coursc,
and he accordingly was entered at the
FAMOUS seminary OF Oaxnca, where he
ground away ut tie dry bones OF doc
trino for n number Of years, all Tie while
ietlInS an INCLINATION toward the law.
which was frowncd on by his uncle.
1t was young Diaz's idea to help his
mother by taking tho shortest cut toward
An independent position such as the
church would give him, but the struggle
within him was q sharp one between in
clination md the duty I've felt toward a
IAother for whom no had the warnlest
lovo and reverence. lie took private
pupils to c4o out his maintenance in the
seminary, and was early marked by older
Inca about him as n lad of singular firm
ness Of character. Finally, by q lucky
chance, tho way opened for him to enter
the civil institute or college OF Oaxaca,
whcro he could study law. His uncle
dlsowncd him when he made up his mind
to enter Il new profession, but his excel
lent mother said to him: Il will not try
10 bias you; do as seems best" To help
his mother he took moro private pupils,
and thus, By teaching and studying hard
and at unreasonable hours, ho gained his
education, entering afterward the law
Office OF JuarcZ, who was subsequently
president OF tho republic. In later years
he took up tho military profession, in
which, rs every ono knows, lie made a
brilliant succues, and handled consider
able armies, having at one period over
GO, 900 men under him.
otto the case Of President Diaz ns H.
Illustrative OF that hunger for learning
and that determination in securing an
education 80 frequent among ambitious
Mexican young men People who assert
that Cen. Diaz IS an uneducated, rough
man either purposely Ito, or arc totally
ignorant OF his career. Like many
another man Of emincncc, he may DO said
to DO tho son OF his own works. OF tho
leading men OF thisr republic, at tho pres
ent day, | know few who were not poor
lads Mt the outset. gaining an education
by hard work. Ono eminent lawyer be-
gan pcddlin8 vegetables to earn lis
s~choolbooks, and cared for his mother
while studying Mt school. This Glial af-
lection il universal among Mcxicans. The
father and tho mother arc not neglected.
Family tics Rro strong, and in many
families there is q fino spirit OF mutual
lclpfu!ncss.-Clty Of Mexico Cor. Boston
Herald.